The UNBA and the NOC discussed prospects for cooperation in sports law

The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and the Ukrainian National Bar Association plan to expand their cooperation in the areas of sports law, arbitration and legal support for the Olympic Movement. Among the possible formats is a series of professional events focused on protecting athletes’ rights and representation in sports disputes.

The advocates discussed areas of cooperation during a working meeting with NOC President Vadym Guttsait and the Committee’s Deputy Executive Director Natalia Kovalenko.

The UNBA was represented by deputy chairman of the Committee on physical culture and sports Elkhan Veliev, deputy chairmen of the Committee on business and investor protection Yuriy Shulika and Serhiy Lysenko, a member of that Committee Oleksandr Bass, chairman of the Committee on legal practice Bogdan Kushnir and chairman of the Committee on intellectual property Yuriy Romanyuk.

Representatives of the NOC discussed mechanisms for protecting the rights of participants in the sports movement. In particular, they addressed the activities of the Sports Arbitration Court under the NOC — a permanent arbitration court that hears disciplinary, contractual, corporate, and other disputes in the field of sports, as well as appeals against decisions by sports federations. In such proceedings, advocates may represent athletes, coaches, clubs, federations, and other parties to sports-related legal relationships.

«Sports law is already emerging as a distinct area of legal practice: from advising federations and clubs to defending athletes in disciplinary, labor, contractual, and anti-doping disputes. Representation in sports arbitration and the application of international rules require specialized training», - noted B. Kushnir.

Other practical areas of advocates’ work include handling transfer and corporate disputes, advising on issues of sports ethics and integrity, providing legal support for the activities of federations, clubs, and competition organizers, as well as applying the requirements of the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations.

In this context, the meeting participants reviewed the work of the NOC’s Athletes’ Committee. It represents the interests of athletes, participates in shaping sports policy, and facilitates the resolution of conflicts between athletes, coaches, and sports organizations. Its scope of activity also includes anti-doping rules, combating discrimination, and interacting with international sports institutions.

During the meeting, the «Sports law of Ukraine» project was presented; it was launched by the NOC in 2024 at the initiative of a lawyer and Honored Jurist of Ukraine Yuriy Kryzskyi. The project aims to improve legislation, develop judicial and arbitration practices, advance legal education and train specialists in sports law.

Another area of discussion was sports ethics, integrity, and the prevention of match-fixing. In accordance with Article 9 of the Law «On preventing the influence of corruption offenses on the results of official sports competitions», the NOC of Ukraine is among the entities responsible for combating such offenses.

The NOC carries out this work, in particular, through its Ethics Commission, which monitors compliance with the Code of Ethics of the Olympic Movement in Ukraine and the Code of Conduct for the Prevention of Manipulation of Sports Competitions. The Committee also conducts educational programs, develops a network of integrity officers, and cooperates with the National Platform for Integrity in Sport, the International Olympic Committee, and the Council of Europe.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to explore formats for joint professional events focused on sports arbitration, the protection of athletes’ rights, and current practices in the application of sports law.

«Cooperation between the UNBA and the NOC of Ukraine will make it possible to develop practical approaches to protecting athletes’ rights and representing them in sports disputes. For advocates, this is also an opportunity to deepen their specialization in a field where national regulation is closely linked to the rules of international sports organizations», - concluded E. Veliev.